Asian Tsunami

Lord Triesman: Following the Tsunami in the Indian Ocean on 26 December 2004, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) launched its largest ever operation to provide consular assistance to British nationals. The FCO provided an immediate and targeted response, with excellent commitment from staff but, given the sheer scale of the incident—triggered by the second largest earthquake on record—and the number of countries affected, FCO resources were stretched. In a relatively small number of cases, British nationals did not receive the level of service that we would normally have wished to provide.
	During February and March 2005, the FCO carried out an internal review of our consular response. The emerging findings of this review were published as part of the FCO's memorandum to the Foreign Affairs Committee on 9 March 2005. The committee made copies of the memorandum available to all Members of Parliament. In the debate following the Foreign Secretary's Statement to the House of Commons on 22 March concerning the tsunami, the Foreign Secretary undertook to make the final conclusions of the internal review known to the House.
	The conclusions of the internal review are set out in the form of a short summary of findings and a list of urgent and other recommendations copies of which the Foreign Secretary has today arranged to be placed in the Library of the House.
	The recommendations are for both the Consular Directorate in London and for our posts overseas. The purpose of the internal review was to examine the FCO's overall response to the tsunami and identify those areas where better structures, equipment or preparation would have helped us to react more effectively. The review focused on the immediate response to the tsunami and dealt with the work of only the FCO and not of other government departments. The National Audit Office is currently examining the overall governmental response to the tsunami crisis, including the role of the FCO, in their review of consular services, due to be published by the end of the year.

Audit Regulation: Annual Reports

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (Alan Johnson) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	I have received the annual reports for the year 2004 from the five recognised supervisory bodies for company auditors: a combined report from the Institutes of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, Scotland and Ireland, and one each from the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants and the Association of Authorised Public Accountants. Copies of the reports have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
	Schedule 11 of the Companies Act 1989 sets out the requirements which a body must meet to be eligible for recognised supervisory body status. These include requirements to have adequate arrangements for monitoring and enforcing compliance with its rules relating to membership and eligibility (for example holding an appropriate qualification, being a fit and proper person, working to technical and ethical standards, maintaining competence), discipline and investigation of complaints. In these reports, the recognised bodies inform the Government about their activities in relation to these arrangements.
	In January 2003, we announced a number of changes to the regulatory regime of the accountancy and audit professions, including the establishment of a new independent inspection unit, located within the Financial Reporting Council, and a Professional Oversight Board for Accountancy (POBA), to take over, from this department, my functions under Part II of the Companies Act 1989 in respect of the recognised supervisory bodies. I am pleased to report that these bodies are now established and in operation. The delegation of these powers is dependent on legislation being passed by Parliament, a process that has been delayed due to other pressures on parliamentary time. Legislation will be laid before Parliament before the Summer Recess. In the mean time my department continues to have responsibility for oversight of the recognised supervisory bodies.

British Council: Art Exhibitions Overseas

Lord Triesman: The British Council, although not a government department, receives a substantial grant-in-aid from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The council regularly organises or sponsors exhibitions overseas of works of art loaned from national galleries and private collections in the United Kingdom. It provides certain assurances or guarantees in respect of loss or damage while these works are on loan.
	In the six months ending on 30 March 2005, the British Council provided such assurances to eight national lenders and undertakings to 85 private lenders. The value of the contingent liabilities outstanding on 30 March 2005 in respect of private lenders was £18,830,698. No liabilities to national galleries existed at that date.

Chemical Weapons Act 1996

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: My right honourable friend the Secretary of State Trade and Industry (Alan Johnson) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	I am pleased to announce that in accordance with the requirements of Section 33 of the Chemical Weapons Act 1996, I have laid a report on its operation during 2004 in the Libraries of both Houses.

Consular Fees Order 2005

Lord Triesman: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has recently undertaken a review of the fees charged for visa and consular services overseas. On 7 June 2005 Her Majesty in Council approved the Consular Fees Order 2005. This revokes and replaces the Consular Fees Order (No 2) 1999. The Government are today announcing new fees to be charged under this order with effect from 1 July 2005.
	The order consolidates and re-categorises some of the fees that have previously been charged. It increases fees for notarial services, estate administration, attendances, matters undertaken relating to legal proceedings and repatriation and financial assistance. It raises fees for consular assistance in births, deaths, marriages and shipping, seamen and kindred matters. The order also increases fees for certain passports and visas and for certain searches undertaken by consular officials.
	Where consular fees have been raised then, in most cases, these fees have been increased by between 10 per cent and 20 per cent. Overseas passport fees are raised from £56.50 to £69 (standard passport for those 16 years or over), from £36.50 to £45 (standard passports for those under 16) and from £67.70 to £82 (48 page passport). The fee for amending an existing passport abroad will be increased from £46.90 to £57. The order also raises the fee for issuing emergency passports from £35.50 to £43.50 and temporary passport fees are increased from £45.60 to £55.
	Fees for multiple entry visas valid for between one and 10 years that ranged from between £60 and £150 have been consolidated in the order to one fee of £85. The order increases the fees for transit visas from £27 to £30 and for six-month multiple entry visas from £36 to £50. The order also raises previously anomalous fees for returning residents, working holiday-makers, students, au pairs and those in employment or self-employed for under six months from £36 to £85. The fee for receiving an application for entry clearance (other than to the United Kingdom or the Crown Dependencies) is raised from £22 to £30.
	The order reduces the fees for a certificate of entitlement to right of abode from £110 to £85. Following the introduction of photo vignette visas the fee for a declaration of identity became obsolete and has been removed. This order also deletes provision for gratis visas to be issued to citizens of the former Soviet Union following the abrogation of a bilateral agreement with former Soviet Union states.
	In setting the new visa fees we have taken account of the views of those in the education sector, for whom the increase in the visa fee for students will be unwelcome. We recognise that international students bring significant economic and social benefits to the UK. UKvisas is committed to working closely with the education sector in the context of IND's new Joint Education Task Force to ensure that we have a genuine and informed dialogue with the education sector about immigration matters and develop better capacity to improve the evidence base on international students.
	But it is right that those who benefit from consular and visa services should meet the cost of them, rather than the UK taxpayer. The new fees represent the full economic cost of what we do, and will ensure that British missions overseas continue to provide a high standard of service to visa and consular customers. They will also enable further investment in improvements to service delivery and the effectiveness of immigration control, as set out in the five-year strategy for immigration and asylum, and in consular services, as set out in the 2004 consular strategy.
	Copies of tables detailing the new fees have been placed in the Library of the House.

Council of Europe Charter for Regional or Minority Languages

Lord Triesman: I have today arranged for copies of the second report on the implementation of the Council of Europe's Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, to be placed in the Library of the House.
	The report details the measures taken by the Government and the devolved administrations to fulfil the UK's obligations under the Charter for Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Irish, Scots, Ulster Scots, Cornish and Manx Gaelic.
	The report is also available on the website of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office at www.fco.gov.uk/otherdocuments.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Arms Embargo

Lord Triesman: With the support of Her Majesty's Government, the United Nations Security Council on 18 April 2005 adopted Resolution 1596, which extends the arms embargo on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to the entire territory of the DRC with conditioned exemptions for the new Congolese army, the UN organisation mission in the DRC and non-lethal military equipment for humanitarian or protective use.
	Resolution 1596 (2005) also provides for an assets freeze and a travel ban, with conditioned exemptions, on persons or entities acting in violation of the arms embargo on the DRC, to be designated by a committee of the Security Council. The resolution also requests the UN Secretary-General to re-establish the group of experts, tasked with monitoring the implementation and enforcement of the measures, for a period expiring on 31 July 2005 with the addition of a fifth expert for financial issues.

EU: Parliamentary Scrutiny

Lord Triesman: The Government have decided upon a new approach to provide better and more timely information to both Parliament and the European scrutiny committees about the agendas and outcomes of EU Council of Ministers meetings.
	The new system should promote a greater transparency of EU business within both Houses. The principal elements of the new system, which will take immediate effect in order to capture the first councils of our presidency, are:
	scrutiny focused material will, as before, continue to be provided to the clerks of the two scrutiny committees as early as possible before Council of Ministers meetings;
	Written Ministerial Statements will be provided to Parliament no later than the day before a formal Council to provide as much information about the items on the agenda, why they are on the agenda, and what the UK as holder of the EU presidency hopes the Council will achieve. After the presidency, the Statements will revert to setting out the national stance on each item. Written Statements will not be produced before informal Councils. A copy of the Statement will be sent to the Chairmen of both scrutiny committees;
	Written Ministerial Statements will be produced within five working days of each Council. During the UK's presidency, Statements on formal Councils will set out what the UK as presidency has delivered, and will replace, in the Commons and Lords respectively, the current system involving a Parliamentary Question and ministerial letter. Only after the presidency will the Statements revert to setting out what the UK stance was in discussions. When reporting after an informal Council the Statement will be of a more general nature and will not highlight member states' positions, including the UK's. A copy of each Statement will be sent to the chairmen of each scrutiny committee; and
	during parliamentary recesses, Ministers will revert to writing to the Chairmen of both committees in place of Written Statements and arrange for copies of the letters to be sent to the Libraries of each House.

Independent Monitor for Entry Clearance: Annual Report

Lord Triesman: I have today placed in the Library a copy of the second annual report by Fiona Lindsley, the Independent Monitor for Entry Clearance Refusals without the Right of Appeal.
	Decisions taken in the calendar year 2003 were under review. Ms Lindsley's report raises a number of interesting proposals as to how we may improve our entry clearance operation world-wide and we are committed to doing this.
	I wish to express my thanks to Ms Lindsley for her continued hard work in completing this, her second report as Independent Monitor for Entry Clearance matters.

Monitor: Annual Report and Accounts

Lord Warner: The annual report and accounts for Monitor (the statutory name of which is the Independent Regulator of NHS Foundation Trusts), HC 195, was laid before Parliament today. Copies are available in the Library.

Nepal

Lord Triesman: When the King of Nepal dismissed the multi-party government and assumed direct power on 1 February this year, the UK expressed grave concern, saying that these moves would increase the risk of instability in Nepal and undermine the institutions of democracy and constitutional monarchy in the country. We also said we would be assessing the impact of the move on our security and developmental assistance.
	Three months on we remain concerned about the continued detention of a number of political and civil society activists and ongoing restrictions on the press. We acknowledge the King lifting the state of emergency and releasing a number of political leaders from detention. We welcome agreement to the establishment of an Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights office in Nepal. We also welcome the publication by the political parties of a joint position on 8 May. We hope the King will respond to these efforts by engaging in a renewed dialogue with them. However, there is still a long way for the King to go in restoring representative government and democratic freedoms. This includes releasing the remaining political prisoners detained since 1 February, the easing of restrictions on the media and efforts to reintegrate the parties back into the political process. The Royal Nepalese Army also has a long way to go in improving its human rights record, tackling the culture of impunity and co-operating with human rights organisations. Our objective remains to see the restoration of basic civil and political freedoms. We will continue to co-operate with our key international partners in working towards this objective and will be monitoring the situation on the ground with close attention.
	My right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary said in a Statement on 22 February that we would review the impact of the King's actions. Against the background of recent developments, we are continuing to keep our security assistance to Nepal under review but now intend to provide a package of bomb disposal equipment, which we had previously planned to gift. The Ministry of Defence is today laying before the House a Parliamentary Minute which gives the details of the proposed package.

NHS Complaints: William Kerr and Michael Haslam

Lord Warner: My right honourable friend the Minster of State (Jane Kennedy) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	The report of the committee of inquiry into how the National Health Service handled allegations about the conduct of William Kerr and Michael Haslem, two former psychiatrists who practised in Yorkshire [Cm 6640] is being published today. Copies have been placed in the Library. This is one of the three inquiries announced in June 2001 by the then Secretary of State for Health (Alan Milburn). The reports of the other two inquiries, to consider how the NHS handled allegations about the conduct of Richard Neale, a former gynaecologist; and Clifford Ayling, a former general practitioner, were published last September.
	The Government would like to thank Nigel Pleming, the chairman of the inquiry, and the two members of his panel, Ros Aistead and Ruth Lesirge, for their thorough and thoughtful handling of undoubtedly sensitive issues. The Government are also grateful to those former patients of William Kerr and Michael Haslam who came forward and provided evidence to the inquiry which must, at times, have been very difficult and painful.
	We will consider the conclusions and recommendations of this report very carefully together with those of the fifth Shipman report, the Clifford Ayling report and the Richard Neale report and will provide our response to them all later this year.

Passport Service: Annual Report and Accounts 2004–05

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Andy Burnham) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	The United Kingdom Passport Service annual report and accounts 2004–05 have been published today and copies have been placed in the Library of the House.

Planning for Housing

Baroness Andrews: My honourable friend the Minister for Housing and Planning (Yvette Cooper) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	This Statement announces three new planning policy documents which the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) is publishing today;
	a policy consultation paper Planning for Housing Provision which sets out a proposed new approach to planning for housing provision, in response to recommendations in the Barker review of housing supply published in March 2004;
	a consultation paper on a proposed new green belt direction, as foreshadowed in the ODPM 5–year strategy Homes for All, published in January 2005; and
	a new circular on planning obligations, following the consultation launched in November 2004.
	ODPM is also publishing today research on the use of planning obligations to deliver affordable housing.
	Alongside these documents ODPM is also publishing, jointly with HM Treasury, a document setting out the importance of the Government's housing agenda for achieving the UK's social and economic priorities and for delivering stability and opportunity.
	Copies of these documents are being placed in the Libraries of the House.
	Planning for Housing Provision
	In April 2003 the Government commissioned Kate Barker to carry out a review of issues underlying the lack of supply and responsiveness of housing supply in the UK. Demand for housing has increased over the past 30 years, driven by demographic trends and rising incomes. Yet the supply of new housing has fallen by 30 per cent compared to 30 years ago.
	The Barker review of housing supply report, Delivering stability: Securing our future housing needs, published in March 2004, made a number of recommendations relevant to the planning system, in particular, its ability to release appropriate land for housing in an effective and timely manner. Planning was seen as a key constraint on the delivery of housing. The revision of current policy on planning for housing, set out in planning policy guidance note 3: Housing (PPG3), was regarded as a priority, in order to improve delivery of sufficient homes and to achieve housing targets more effectively.
	The Government agree with the Barker review proposition that the planning system must be able to deliver sufficient land, in the right places, to meet need and be more responsive to demand. If plans fail to deliver appropriate land for housing, house prices will continue to increase, there will continue to be worsening affordability, and key workers will continue to seek in vain for homes near their jobs. Equally, if the planning system fails to address low demand, the difficulties faced by communities, in terms of abandonment and crime, will increase.
	The challenge for the planning system is to find the right way to respond flexibly to housing market pressures, in order to achieve social justice, and sustainable development. The Government believe that consideration of housing market pressures must be part of the planning system, so that it can operate swiftly and effectively, in the public interest.
	ODPM is therefore publishing today a consultation paper Planning for Housing Provision which sets out the Government's objectives for delivering a better supply of housing through the planning system. Improving housing supply and access to housing is critical to improving affordability in the long term and securing the wider benefits that housing brings to the economy and society. The consultation paper proposes a new policy approach to ensuring that appropriate land is allocated in plans to meet the need for housing, respond more effectively to changes in demand, and promote consumer choice. It also continues the priority given to brownfield development. It provides for different approaches in areas such as the Thames Gateway which are designated for high levels of housing growth compared to other areas where the level of new housing needs to be carefully managed. It promotes longer term planning as well as much more rapid reviews of plans where demand changes. The Government will respond to the other recommendations of the Barker review by the end of the year.
	This consultation will be an important input to a new planning policy statement on planning for housing (PPS3). In the autumn government will consult on a new draft PPS3 which will set out the broad national policy framework for planning for housing The aim will be to ensure that the planning system is used to its maximum effect to ensure that everyone has the opportunity of a decent home, which they can afford, within a community which is sustainable and in which they want to live and work.
	The new draft PPS3 will also draw on the consultation paper Planning for Mixed Communities published by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in January 2005, and the responses to it.
	Consultation Draft of a New Green Belt Direction
	The Government recognise the need to protect the green belt in taking forward new development. It has set a target for each region to maintain or increase the area of green belt designated in local plans. As a demonstration of the continuing importance the Government attach to the protection of the openness of the green belt, and to the prevention of urban sprawl, the ODPM is also publishing today a consultation paper on a proposed new town and country planning (green belt) direction.
	This new direction would, for the first time, specifically require that planning applications for inappropriate development of certain types and scale in the green belt, which local planning authorities are minded to approve, should be referred to the First Secretary of State. While the Secretary of State would continue to use his powers of intervention selectively, the new direction would ensure that he has the opportunity to consider whether to call in for a public inquiry and his own determination, the more significant and potentially most harmful development proposals in the green belt.
	Planning Obligations
	The system of planning obligations is important in delivering essential infrastructure and other matters necessary to ensure all new development is sustainable in planning terms. However, planning obligations have in the past been responsible for delays in the system. The ODPM is today publishing a new circular on planning obligations—Circular 05/2005—aimed at speeding up the system, so as to support the delivery of development, including new housing.
	In November 2004 the ODPM published a draft revised circular on planning obligations. This led to a very fruitful consultation period in which 279 respondents contributed their views in writing and discussions were held in regional seminars and bilateral meetings.
	The overarching aims of the new circular are to increase transparency, predictability, accountability and speed in the negotiation of planning obligations, and to promote the good practice that already exists in many local authorities. It also brings planning obligations into line with the new arrangements established by the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, and provides a firmer policy basis for the provision of affordable housing through planning obligations.
	The final version of the circular makes a number of changes from the draft for the sake of clarity and precision, and introduces some new procedural guidance but the policy scope of planning obligations remains the same.
	The circular will be supported by the publication of good practice guidance on the use of planning obligations later this year. A standard legal document for planning agreements and unilateral undertakings will accompany this guidance.
	The revision of planning obligations policy is intended to improve the existing system. In the meantime, the Government are continuing to examine Kate Barker's recommendations for a planning-gain supplement and associated changes to the system of planning obligations, made in the final report of her review of housing supply. The Government will announce their full response to the Barker report by the end of the year.
	Value for Money of Delivering Affordable Housing through Section 106 Agreements
	In November 2003, ODPM commissioned the University of Cambridge to undertake a study on the value for money of delivering affordable housing through the planning system, i.e. through Section 106 agreements. The aim was to provide evidence on how much affordable housing is being delivered through planning obligations and how it is being funded. The study also examined how far providing affordable housing in this way contributes to mixed communities.
	The study confirms the importance of using planning obligations in the delivery of affordable housing. The research indicates that as developers and local authorities are becoming more familiar with using planning obligations, the system is improving. The study also found that delivering affordable housing in this way makes a valuable contribution to the Government's aims of mixed communities, in particular by providing access to land in high-value areas.
	However, the research also suggests that there is room for improvement. The main drawbacks of the current system are perceived to be the delays in negotiation and the resulting costs. The new circular on planning obligations aims to address some of these issues.

Public Services Reform

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The Government have today published their response to the Public Administration Select Committee's report on Choice, Voice and the Public Services.
	The Government welcome the Public Administration Select Committee's report and see the committee's comments and recommendations as a valuable contribution to the debate on how public services can be further improved.
	Copies of the Government's response have been placed in the Library.

Review Board for Government Contracts

Lord Drayson: My right honourable friend the Minister of State for the Armed Forces (Adam Ingram) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	The Government have accepted the findings of the Review Board for Government Contracts as detailed in its report of the 2005 annual review of the profit formula for non-competitive government contracts. I will place a copy of the report in the Libraries of both Houses.

Tax and Benefit Reference Manual 2005–06

Lord McKenzie of Luton: My right honourable friend the Paymaster General has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	Copies of the 2005–06 edition of the Tax Benefit Reference Manual (TBRM) are today being deposited in the House of Commons Library.
	HM Treasury publishes the TBRM annually. It is a technical manual detailing the tax and benefit system, describing both the current and historic regimes. There are also tables of time series covering tax and benefit rates, numbers of taxpayers and benefit claimants, VAT and duty rates and the tax burden on specimen households.

UK Security Advisory Team

Lord Triesman: The official launch of the United Kingdom Security Advisory Team (UKSAT) took place in Antigua on 9 June 2005, with addresses from the honourable Baldwin Spencer, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, and John White, British high commissioner for the eastern Caribbean. Sir James Carlisle, Governor General of Antigua and Barbuda, and other senior representatives from the region were also present.
	The UKSAT project supports delivery of FCO's strategic priority two—protection of the UK from illegal immigration, drug trafficking and other international crime—and strategic priority eight—security and good governance of the UK's overseas territories. The FCO is providing £1.5 million of funding for the project in 2005–06. The eastern Caribbean is a key transit point for cocaine from Latin America destined for the UK; through UKSAT, we are seeking further to develop our law enforcement co-operation and effectiveness in the region.
	UKSAT will work in partnership with the regional security system (RSS) and the UK Caribbean overseas territories (COTs) to enhance law enforcement capacity in the RSS countries and the COTs. This will be achieved through training, advice and mentoring to strengthen actions against drug trafficking and other organised criminal groups operating in the Caribbean.
	The team will evolve over the next three years to consist of 14 personnel based in RSS countries: eight UK staff will include officers from H M Revenue and Customs and the Royal Navy and six recruited regionally. UKSAT will work closely with the RSS security screening programme to tackle corrupt practices and integrity issues in regional law enforcement organisations. In addition, UKSAT programmes will be delivered elsewhere in the region, notably Jamaica and Trinidad.
	As part of UKSAT, the Maritime Training Unit in Antigua will, in conjunction with the RSS training unit, continue to provide training and advice in support of maritime law enforcement activities in the region.
	This practical training commitment reflects the close co-operation which exists at all levels between Her Majesty's Government and governments of the Caribbean nations and a shared commitment to tackle the problems of security and organised crime in the region, which affects both the Caribbean nations themselves and the UK. It is also of particular benefit to the COTs in helping them to meet their maritime law enforcement needs and in providing them with a sound basis to generate sustainable and effective operational capabilities.

Youth Matters: Green Paper

Lord Adonis: My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (Ruth Kelly) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	The Green Paper Youth Matters has today been laid before Parliament.
	Youth Matters addresses key issues relating to the way in which we provide opportunities, challenge and support to our teenagers. The proposals in Youth Matters build on the ambition of Every Child Matters that all young people should achieve five key outcomes—being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution, and achieving economic well-being.
	We should not lose sight of the fact that most young people are doing well, achieving more at school and going on to further study. We need to support these young people with more and better information, advice and guidance, which takes into account how jobs are changing and our proposed 1–19 curriculum reforms, and which is delivered in a way that suits young people including through the use of modern technologies.
	We also want to provide a wider choice of positive activities for young people to do when they are not in school, college or work and we want to encourage more young people to get involved in volunteering. It is a fundamental part of our proposals that young people and their parents should have a greater influence over the things that are provided for them locally. Proposals include supporting local authorities to develop a card for young people which will give them discounts on activities and could be credited with amounts that young people can spend on their choice of sports and other constructive activities. We also propose a new Youth Opportunity Fund to be spent at young people's discretion on projects to improve things to do and places to go in their area.
	We want to improve the way in which we support young people with specific needs and problems, including providing them with a nominated lead professional who will be a single point of contact and making sure that support is provided in a co-ordinated, convenient and integrated way.
	But we should also recognise that some young people have problems and some get involved in anti-social behaviour and crime. This can have a negative impact on their life chances and affects the view the wider community has of all young people. Those who fail to behave well should be supported in improving their behaviour but should not benefit from the proposed discount card until they do so.
	A copy of the Green Paper will be available in the Libraries of both Houses and will be accessible on the Department for Education and Skills website.

Zimbabwe

Lord Triesman: The most recent events in Zimbabwe are of grave concern. Zimbabweans are deprived of their democratic and human rights, facing the consequences of chronic economic misrule and grappling with severe food shortages. Over the past three weeks the Mugabe regime has launched a brutal crackdown on some of the most vulnerable Zimbabweans, including inhabitants of urban shanty settlements and informal traders.
	Over 30,000 have been arrested, with over 40,000 households—approximately 200,000 people—affected with their homes and businesses callously destroyed. People suffering from AIDS are among the worst affected. Many chronically ill people have been driven from their homes. HIV prevention and home-based care programmes have been severely disrupted. We are also very concerned about the welfare of children. Infants have been forced to sleep outside in the middle of winter. There are also reports of children being detained in prison and separated from their parents. The crackdown continues to spread across the country to many urban and some rural areas. Armed police have swiftly crushed any resistance with teargas. This action has receivedwidespread international condemnation. The UN's Special Representative on the Right to Adequate Housing called this "a new form of apartheid".
	In response, we have joined our EU partners in demanding that the government of Zimbabwe end this crackdown, in a statement on 7 June. Our ambassador in Harare has raised our strong concerns, directly to the government of Zimbabwe, in meetings with the Vice-President and the Minister of State for National Security. I summoned the Zimbabwean charge d'affaires on 13 June to protest at the continuing human rights abuses under the ongoing crackdown. We remain in close contact with our EU partners, with whom I raised Zimbabwe at the 13 June General Affairs and External Relations Council. We also continue to work with other international partners to maximise the pressure on Zimbabwe to end this brutality and are discussing these and other human rights abuses in Zimbabwe, with neighbouring African states and regional African bodies.
	DfID is already responding to this man-made disaster, providing $400,000 so far towards humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable mainly through the UN and International Organisation for Migration. A further contribution is imminent. To date, over 5,000 families have been reached with food, blankets, soap and other forms of assistance. Where appropriate transport and emergency water and sanitation has been provided.
	Since 2002 the European Union has imposed targeted sanctions on Zimbabwe; an arms embargo on the country and a travel ban and asset freeze on President Mugabe and leading regime figures. The EU's common position is kept under regular review. Together with our EU partners we have recently reassessed the situation in Zimbabwe following the March parliamentary elections. We agreed yesterday in the light of that assessment to extend the list of those regime figures caught by the travel ban and asset freeze, from 95 to 120 names. The new list includes all the senior members of the new government and politburo, and senior figures involved in manipulating the election.
	This decision emphasises the EU's continued concerns about the lack of democracy and respect for human rights and the rule of law that exists in Zimbabwe, and the failure of Mugabe and his regime to respond to international calls for reform.
	Her Majesty's Government will continue to work with the European Union and our other international partners to restore democratic governance, human rights and the rule of law to Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe: Immigration Removals

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department (Charles Clarke) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	On 27 June I made a Statement on the return of failed asylum seekers to Zimbabwe and on 6 July I updated the House on that issue. I would like to provide a further update on returns to Zimbabwe.
	Our policy on enforcing the return of failed asylum seekers to Zimbabwe has not changed. We remain of the view that the correct way to operate a fair but credible asylum system is to consider each asylum claim on its individual merits, to grant protection to those who need it, and to seek to remove those who do not and who have no other basis of stay in the country, and who will not leave voluntarily. This is true of all claims, whatever the nationality of the claimant.
	The courts have set a hearing on 4 August to consider the evidence provided by the Refugee Legal Centre relating to the treatment of failed asylum seekers upon their return to Zimbabwe. We welcome the opportunity this will provide for all the objective information relating to their treatment to be assessed. Pending the 4 August hearing, out of respect and courtesy to the clearly expressed wishes of the court, we have agreed not to enforce the removal of Zimbabwean failed asylum seekers to Zimbabwe.
	This Government continue to have grave concerns about the human rights situation in Zimbabwe, and continue to press for an end to abuses. We will continue to provide protection through the asylum system for Zimbabweans with a well founded fear of persecution.